Wyoming Undercover

by Karen Whiddon

  “You can, you’ll see.” Once he’d helped her maneuver into a spot on the tree, he handed her the plate and pulled off the paper napkin cover. Immediately the irresistible, smoked scent of homemade barbecue assaulted her nose.

  Her mouth watered. “Maybe I’ll just have one bite,” she said.

  “I thought you might,” he said as he handed her the plastic knife and fork. “The baked beans are really good, too.”

  Amazingly, she managed to finish the entire plate.

  Jack silently watched her eat, smiling.

  The meal tasted wonderful and did not, as she’d feared, sour in her stomach.

  Once she’d finished and used the paper napkin to wipe her mouth, he took the plate from her. Using his boot, he dug a slight hole and buried the plate in the dirt, along with the plastic utensils.

  “Feeling better?” he asked, his eyes sparkling, making her body tingle all over.

  She considered his question. “Maybe. A little.” Taking a deep breath, she decided to tell him the truth. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  “It’s tough,” he agreed. “I’d hate to be in your position.”

  “Yeah.” Her laugh came out sounding more like a cry. “But today made me realize something. I’m not going to marry him.”

  Her words, sent out into the universe, seemed to hover between them, taking on an existence of their own. She rushed on, aware she had to say it all now, before she lost her courage. “I’m going to have to leave COE. Go outside and figure out how to start a new life. And for that, I’m going to need your help.”

  Instead of responding, he continued to watch her, his expression giving nothing away. As the seconds ticked away, fear stabbed her. Had she completely misjudged him? Was he more into COE than she’d thought? And would he report her to Thomas or Ezekiel?

  “Oh, Sophia.” The intensity in his lowered voice confused her. “You have no idea what you’re asking for.”

  “I do,” she insisted. “At least part of it. By all that is just and right, you cannot tell me you expect me to marry Ezekiel.” She shuddered. “If you’d seen what was in his eyes when he looked at me...”

  He swallowed hard. “I can imagine. And, believe me, I understand. But the life you have here, the sense of community, everything you love and value about COE—are you truly willing to give all that up?”

  “Yes.” She didn’t hesitate.

  “Forever?” he persisted.

  “Once I marry Ezekiel, that life will be gone. I’ll go live in his harem with his other wives. I’ll no longer have any value other than as one of his possessions. Dr. Drew has told me this, and so has Deirdre, Ezekiel’s first wife. I can’t live like that. I won’t.”

  Their gazes locked. Sophia could hear her heart beating, feel the thrum of her blood as it flowed through her veins.

  “I’ll help you,” he finally said. “Things like this take some planning, though.”

  “I don’t have a lot of time. He said less than a month, which is what I was told before.” Her bitter laugh echoed the way she felt inside. “True.” He glanced at his watch. “We’d better be getting back.”

  She balked. “Why? I’m not ready yet.”

  “Because.” Offering her his hand, he helped her from the log. “Rule number one of planning to escape. Don’t give them any hints something is up.”

  Since his words made sense, she allowed him to lead her back the way she’d come. She liked the way his hand swallowed up hers, and how the height and breadth of him made her feel protected. She liked him.

  “Will you go back to the picnic with me?” Though his expression remained serious, the spark in his eyes pulled a small smile.

  Even though she found the idea repulsive, she considered. “If we do, we should probably go separately. We don’t want our being together to be noticed.”

  “Do you think it would?” he asked.

  About to remind him of his earlier words, she stopped when she realized he was teasing.

  Suddenly exhausted, she shook her head. “You go ahead and return to the cookout,” she told him. “I’m going to go home and go to bed. I want this day to be over.”

  Gaze still locked on hers, he nodded. “I understand,” he said.

  They continued to hold hands until they reached the fringes of the forest. When he released her, she felt an aching sense of loss, which she pushed away. If she was going to do this, if she truly planned to leave her community and friends, she needed to learn how to stand on her own.

  At the fence, she waved away his offer to help and climbed over by herself. Not gracefully, but she did it. Once she stood on the other side, she smiled at him. “Here’s where we should part ways,” she said. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

  As she walked away, he didn’t follow. But she felt his gaze burning into her back until she was out of sight.

  * * *

  Because he liked to be early, Jack arrived at the medical clinic at 6:45 a.m., leaving his house well before Phillip had even started stirring. He was not surprised to find Sophia already there. She was the first one in and the last to leave and, as far as he could tell, she ran the entire clinic single-handedly. He wasn’t sure what the other woman, Ana, actually did, but it seemed to mostly consist of sitting at the reception desk when she wasn’t following Sophia around.

  As far as the doctor, when he wasn’t with patients, he spent his time sequestered in his private office with the door closed.

  She hadn’t been kidding about it being slow, except for that one busy afternoon. There wasn’t much for Jack to do now that he’d organized the storeroom. As far as he could tell, the clinic would get along just fine without him. But so far, no one had appeared concerned about his conspicuous lack of duties. Of course, it had only been a few days.

  Those few days made him feel like he’d been sitting still. Intellectually, he knew he needed time, but he didn’t like the way he’d begun to feel comfortable inside the cult. Not only that, but pretty Sophia Hannah and her impossible situation tugged at his heartstrings. And there was also how badly he wanted to make love to her. If it had been another time and situation, he would have thought they were meant for each other. Truth be told, even the thought of another man—especially an elderly megalomaniac—putting his hands on her soft skin made Jack want to punch something.

  None of that was good. His jaw ached from clenching it. He needed to find out if the Bartletts’ son was here—and get out. Somehow, some way, he had to talk to the children. The fact that the cult apparently kept them locked away didn’t bode well for him gaining access.

  Sighing, he crossed the waiting room and headed back to the storeroom. Since he’d had to conjure up busywork, today he would be retaking inventory and letting Sophia know what items needed to be reordered. She’d told him she’d give the list to Dr. Drew, who would order from a medical supply clinic in Laramie. Jack wondered silently if the good doctor had a secret computer in addition to a cell phone. No doubt he did.

  But he’d no sooner arrived in the storeroom when Sophia asked him to help her move a desk in the reception area. Apparently, Dr. Drew wanted the waiting room rearranged. Glad to actually have something to do, Jack pushed the desk to the opposite wall while she looked on. Something about the admiration in her gaze made him feel like he could do anything.

  The next several minutes, he helped rehang pictures, move filing cabinets and a magazine rack. At seven thirty, Ana walked in. After jerking her head in greeting to them, she barely glanced at the new setup, instead heading straight toward the back bathroom. Her eyes were red, as if she’d been crying.

  Right after she closed the door, two men entered. They both wore dark blue T-shirts and khaki slacks, and they carried themselves with authority.

  “Jack Moreno?” one of them asked. When Jack nodded, the man
stepped aside. “We’ll need you to come with us.”

  Confused, Jack started forward.

  “Wait.” Sophia moved between him and the door. “What’s this about?”

  Both men turned identical disapproving looks at her. “You know better than to ask questions,” the first one said. “And this is none of your concern.”

  Judging by Sophia’s reaction, Jack guessed he might be in some sort of trouble. Since he hadn’t done anything except walk with Sophia, he had to assume that was why. He moved past her and out the clinic door.

  With one man on each side of him, they headed down the path. Neither of his escorts spoke.

  As they continued on, the houses began to lose their boring similarity. One or two appeared larger, maybe a bit more ornate. Then he realized where they were taking him. Either to see Thomas or to meet Ezekiel.

  Things had just gotten interesting. He sincerely hoped it was the latter. He truly wanted to get a good look at the man who could inspire such blind devotion.

  And maybe he could figure out a way to ask about the children. He’d heard offhand comments about family groups, but as yet he hadn’t actually witnessed such a thing. Of course, he lived with another young, single man, which appeared to be what COE did once people aged out of the family group. He’d asked Phillip and learned that once a young man claimed a wife, which it sounded as if he did without consulting or asking her, they were wed and moved into a home with other married couples, which became their new family group. The family group helped raise any children.

  From the way COE kept such a tight lid on all of this, Jack surmised they viewed children as a precious commodity. With so many strict rules, he couldn’t help but wonder if any of them ever rebelled. Or perhaps they were all so brainwashed at an early age that bucking the system never even occurred to them.

  One thing was for sure, he’d never be able to determine if the Bartlett boy was here unless he figure out a way to interact with the children, especially the troubled ones.

  Finally his two escorts stopped. Jack knew this place. He’d been here before. “Here we are,” the taller of the two said. “Thomas is expecting you.”

  Disappointed, Jack nodded and pressed the buzzer. A moment later the door opened and he went on inside.

  This time, Thomas held out his hand for Jack to shake. “Welcome,” he said, smiling. He led Jack into a small sitting room, gesturing toward a dark leather sofa. “Take a seat. I want to discuss a proposition with you.”

  Interesting. Careful to keep his face expressionless, Jack sat. The leather on the sofa felt soft and expensive.

  “The other day you mentioned to Dr. Drew that you’d done some therapy work.”

  Jack nodded. He prayed they didn’t have a source inside the military that would enable them to check his service records. If they did, he was screwed. They’d find out he’d completely made it all up.

  “It so happens,” Thomas continued, “that we have need of someone who can do some counseling. Have you ever worked with children?”

  Though his pulse jumped, Jack knew he’d have to be extremely careful. “No, sir, I haven’t,” he answered. He figured he’d stick to as much honesty as he could. More difficult to get tripped up that way.

  “I think you can give it a try. Dr. Drew has agreed to loan you to the school for as long as it takes. You’ll be working with the primary teacher there. Her name is Rachel.” Thomas’s smile widened. “I think you’ll find her very attractive. She’s unclaimed, too, so if you think she’s something you want, you’ll need to jump in fairly quickly.”

  It took a moment for Thomas’s words to register. “You want me to...claim her?” Jack asked, not sure what exactly the other man had in mind.

  “Only if you want to.” Thomas gave a jovial laugh. “You’ll find we have plenty of unattached, pretty women here. So there’s no need to go sniffing after any that are already promised. Do you follow?”

  He meant Sophia. Jack carefully forced what he hoped was a casual smile. “I follow.” He kept his voice light, despite the anger coiling inside him.

  “I thought you would.” Apparently satisfied, Thomas nodded. “Rachel will meet you outside her home at seven in the morning. She’ll take you to school. Make sure you’re there.”

  And with that, Jack was dismissed.

  * * *

  Thirty minutes after the two men escorted Jack away, a messenger rushed into the clinic and informed Sophia that Deirdre wanted to see her.

  At the news the first wife was summoning her again, Sophia recognized the hard knot of panic that settled low in her belly. Dread.

  She followed the messenger again. This time, Deidre received her in the garden, which even Sophia had to admit was lovely. Spring flowers boomed in riotous color, and the ornate, metal patio furniture had been made to appear to blend perfectly with the landscape. In the back, she spied some sort of structure. A small house, half hidden by trees and shrubs and flowers.

  Deirdre offered her lemonade. Sophia declined.

  The meeting was brief. Deirdre just wanted to inform Sophia that all the arrangements had been handled, including the flowers and her dress. Sophia would need to be fitted, just to make sure the dress fit. But Deirdre felt confident it would because she was a very good judge of size.

  Through it all, Sophia tried to smile and nod, but she ended up having to try to keep from crying. Finally, Deirdre finished and gestured toward the gate. “You can go now,” she said, returning her attention to her drink.

  Sophia spun around to do just that. “Thank you,” she murmured, which seemed the final irony. As she made her way on the cobblestone path toward the exit, Deirdre called her back.

  Careful not to show her reluctance, Sophia went.

  “One more thing,” Deirdre said, narrowing her eyes as she studied Sophia. “We’ve moved the wedding up a little. I know yesterday Ezekiel said less than a month, but that’s incorrect. You’re going to be married in two weeks. So get your affairs in order. I’m not sure if Dr. Drew will need a two-week notice or not.”

  Two weeks! Confused and horrified, Sophia froze. “What do you mean about Dr. Drew?”

  This time there was no imagining the malice in Deirdre’s smile. “You won’t be employed there after you’re married, sweetie. Ezekiel doesn’t allow any of his wives to work.”

  “I see.” Blinking back tears, Sophia managed a nod. Two weeks. As she stumbled away, she knew she needed to begin thinking about what she might have to do to escape. The outside world might be alien and frightening, but not even a tenth as much as the idea of her approaching marriage.

  She needed to give her notice to Dr. Drew, but couldn’t face anyone right now. So she took a detour and found herself in the barn. This time, instead of simply petting her favorite horse across the stall door, she let herself in. Smokey looked up, nickering in welcome. The clean hay felt soft underneath her shoes. She went to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, at long last giving in to her tears.

  “I thought I might find you here.” Jack’s voice.

  Startled, Sophia raised her head, wiping at her no-doubt red eyes.

  His happy smile changed to a frown. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.

  About to speak, she simply shrugged. The workers had entered the south end of the barn with a small tractor and wagon, continuing their daily routine of mucking out the stalls. Apparently they’d already finished the north side, since Smokey’s stall was clean.

  “Walk with me?” she asked, aware her desperation showed in both her voice and expression.

  He nodded. “Sure,” he answered without hesitation. “Though I should let you know I’ve been warned about hanging around with an engaged woman.”

  “Warned?” She hadn’t thought her day could get any worse, but it just had. “By who?”

  �
�Thomas.” Waiting until she’d opened the stall door and slipped outside into the aisle, he held out his arm. “Don’t worry. He wants me to check out your roommate Rachel.”

  The instant flash of jealously that knifed through her should have surprised her, but it didn’t. “Why?” she asked. “Why Rachel?”

  He waited until they’d left the barn before responding. “Because I’m going to be working with her, providing therapy for some of her students. He gave me a veiled warning about hanging out with women who were taken and mentioned Rachel was available.”

  “A veiled warning.” The idea horrified her. “Maybe you’d better go.”

  “Not a chance.” Again, the immediacy of his response gratified her. Because the truth was, if he left, she’d be all alone. And the misery festering inside her needed an outlet.

  Still, she felt she needed to be up-front. “Jack, I honestly don’t know what they might do if you’re seen with me. Everything is spiraling out of control so quickly.”

  He turned to face her. For one heart-stopping moment she thought he might take her in his arms. Luckily for both of them, he didn’t. “Is that why you were crying?”

  “Let’s go to the gardens,” she said instead of answering. “At least there we’ll have a small bit of privacy.”

  Since it was spring, the corn hadn’t grown tall enough to hide in. The tomato plants had just been started, so she settled for taking him into one of the greenhouses, knowing they’d be empty.

  Once the door had closed behind them, she let the entire story spill out. She told him everything.

  Jack listened, the attentive look on his handsome face neither condemning nor shocked. When she finally wound down, ending with the earlier meeting with Deirdre, he shook his head. “They’ve moved the wedding up. Did she tell you why?”

  Miserable, she shook her head. “I don’t want to marry him,” she whispered. “But I don’t have a choice.”

  He gazed down at her, his blue eyes dark and hooded. “You always have a choice,” he murmured. Then he covered her mouth with his and kissed her.